Launch Malawi

Happy to Be in Preschool Class

Just before we left for furlough in October, two of the ladies in the village said they were starting a preschool and needed our help. That didn’t really fit in with our travel preparations. Even though they were drawing from the pool of kids we’re already feeding every day and it would benefit the little ones greatly, the timing seemed wrong. Sure it was something John and I had talked and prayed about, but we certainly didn’t expect a couple of the villagers to take the initiative and get something going without our choreography. We hadn’t even shared the idea with them! In the end we were impressed and encouraged them to do whatever they felt they needed to while we were gone, assuring them we would return with the training and resources they asked for.

Education at every level is a critical need in Malawi. We had decided after our first year in the country that the aim for this mission should have something to do with teaching. We weren’t exactly sure where to start, but it seems these ladies have nudged us in a specific direction. They made it clear that they’re responding to what they’ve learned in our weekly Bible studies and that they want to serve their village in the best way they know how. They feel that teaching the kids, whom the church is already cooking for each day, is the next logical step. How could they know that we’d recently come to the same conclusion? The Spirit is obviously weaving a tapestry among us all, and we're witnessing the opening of the village school. 

When we returned from our trip, the ladies were eager to share their progress with us. Now I want to share it with you. Here’s a photo of the building Snoden constructed next to his house to serve as a temporary preschool while we were gone. 

The bricks are held together by sand only.
We are working this week to get a layer of concrete over the walls.

One of the founders of the preschool happens to be Snoden’s wife, Susan. She said they needed a place out of the rain to cook for the children and to keep them dry during class time so, with the help of their relatives, they cut bricks from the clay in their yard and put them together with sand. There are two rooms inside--one for the younger children and one for the older. There are two small closet-like rooms that serve as cooking and water storage spaces. There's also a nice, new outhouse behind the building.

Susan’s teaching partner is Doreen. Doreen’s baby had a terrible hernia when we met her. After we helped get him the medical procedure he needed, she has been a loyal supporter of everything we do in the village. She walks over two miles each morning to get to Snoden and Susan’s house to teach preschool—for free. Doreen doesn’t speak any English but has been learning songs and rhymes in English to teach the kids. In essence, she’s learning along with them so that they will get a good education in the country’s national language—something that doesn’t usually happen in a village environment. Most village schools are conducted in Chichewa, leaving the kids to learn English on their own. High school and college is taught in English, and all business is conducted in English, so you can imagine the importance of children learning it well. Thanks to Susan and Doreen, they are well on their way.

Susan, Teaching Numbers and Colors to the Older Kids

Doreen, Singing an English Song with the Younger Kids

Thanks to some generous donors, we brought back lots of great materials for the teachers and the kids. We're researching prices for consumable supplies and plan to raise support for each child to have what he needs for the best preschool experience possible. We also want to start paying the teachers a fair salary for all their hard work. According to our sources, the average primary school teacher's salary in Malawi is well under $100 per month, which is a ridiculous bargain for the jobs that are going to launch Malawi into a self-sustaining future.